The project proposes to determine whether an unstructured socialization environment, located for maximum visibility and having extensive outreach and physical, mental and social service backup as components, can attract and retain the frail elderly residing in the neighborhood of the facility and become a focal point for the delivery of service to this population. The research further proposes to evaluate the effectiveness of the model in reducing unnecessary institutionalization and/or delaying institutionalization among the mentally frail elderly. The project also will attempt to derive a typology of mental impairment among older people, including behavioral, social and physical attributes associated with the various levels of mental functioning. Base-line data for evaluation and typology will be derived from records for 700 mentally disturbed older persons at Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital's Geriatric Unit and from data collected for the New York City Department for the Aging's Study of the Inner City Elderly (n equals 1552). Data collected from a sample of project center attendees will be compared against base-line data as well as against data obtained from two other sample populations (elderly community residents in the project neighborhood and members of a traditional Senior Center) to determine the effectiveness of the model in attracting the mentally frail elderly. Follow-up studies of center attendees and community sample will ascertain the center's impact on maintaining its members in the community. In addition, the research design calls for an analysis of the center's service records and for participant observation directed toward the dynamics of interaction within the center.